Ash Lodge Care Home

Updated 28 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The unannounced inspection took place on 28 August 2018. It was carried out by one inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We considered this information during our inspection. We also looked at the notifications received and reviewed all the intelligence the Care Quality Commission held to help inform us about the level of risk for this service. We asked the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams for their views. We contacted Healthwatch (a national consumer health care champion) for their feedback prior to our inspection. We reviewed this information to help us make a judgement about this service.

During the inspection we spoke with three people living at service. We spoke with the registered manager, three staff and two directors. We observed interactions between people, visitors and staff in the communal areas of the service.

We looked at a selection of documentation. This included three staff recruitment files and supervision records and staff rotas. We inspected three people's care records, ten medicine administration records and the medicine treatment room temperature information. We looked at the minutes of meetings held with people living at the service, relatives and staff, quality assurance checks and audits, policies and procedures, maintenance records and the complaints and compliments received. We looked at how the service used the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure when people were assessed as lacking capacity to make their own decisions care was provided in their best interests. We also undertook a tour of the building.

Updated 28 September 2018

The inspection took place on 28 August 2018, it was unannounced.

At the last inspection in June 2017 the service was rated requires improvement in the safe and well-led domains. Staffing levels required adjusting to ensure the service remained clean and quality monitoring was not effective and there was no registered manager in place. At this inspection we found the issues had been addressed. There were enough staff to keep the service clean and quality monitoring systems were in place.

Ash Lodge is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Ash Lodge Care Home provides accommodation and care for up to 22 people who have mental health needs. The service is two houses joined internally. There are communal lounges and garden patio areas for people to use.

The service has a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from harm and abuse. Accidents and incidents were monitored. Infection control was maintained. Medicines were safely monitored and minor issues with people's medicine administration record (MAR) charts were robustly addressed. Risks to people's health and wellbeing were monitored. People's care was monitored and health care professionals were contacted for their help and advice to maintain people's wellbeing.

Staffing levels provided met people's needs and they remained under review by the management team. Staff undertook training, supervision and received an annual appraisal to maintain and develop their skills. Robust recruitment procedures were in place.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

Staff treated people with compassion and supported them in a kind and caring way. People’s privacy and dignity was respected. Advocates (independent representatives) were available locally to help people raise their views.

People’s dietary needs were met. The food served looked appetising and nutritious. People who required monitoring of their dietary needs had this in place.

People’s care records were personalised and staff were aware of their preferences for their care and support. People’s communication needs were known by staff. The provider had a complaints policy in place, issues raised were used as learning to improve the service provided.

The registered manager had an ‘open door’ policy in place so people living at the service, staff or visitors could speak with them at any time. Resident, relative’s and staff meetings were held to gain people’s views of the service provided. Quality monitoring systems were robust. The provider reviewed their policies and procedures to ensure they were up to date.